


if i fall (will you be there to catch me?)

by chaeyoo24



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, dancer!mina, fighter!momo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-15 01:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14148723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaeyoo24/pseuds/chaeyoo24
Summary: New York, the fast-paced place where people are always in a rush. Mina has learned to keep up with the quick pace of the city. She was never the type to stop and smell the roses, but that was until she met her on that dull September afternoon. Her eyes were light and dark at the same time, as if a devil and an angel live inside of her. Time itself had stopped, and since that day everything had changed, ever since she crossed paths with Hirai Momo.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Got the inspiration from Mina's ViVi magazine interview which led me to many what-ifs. What if instead of joining TWICE, her parents sent her to some english-speaking country, etc. So enough with my pointless rambling and I hope you enjoy reading :)

“Shion, where the _hell_ are we?” I asked nervously, noticing the bad feeling in my stomach grow rapidly with each passing second. The dark alley we had just turned down only worsened it as I gazed out of the window, watching light rain fall over the cool window.

I heard my older sister answer, “Look, _you’re_ the one that wanted to tag along, remember that.”

Shaking my head, I retorted, “That still doesn’t answer my damn question.”

I watched as she glared at me from the driver’s side of the car, pulling down yet _another_ dark road. She answered, “Just chill…it’s not anything bad. Well…it kinda is, but it’s not dange-” she cut her sentence short, “Just wait till we get there.”

“Why can’t you just tell me?”

“ _Because_ I can’t.”

“ _Why?_ ”

“You might try to talk me out of going and I _need_ to be there tonight.”

I fell silent as I thought that maybe I was about to be a main character in a horror film or something while Shion continued to drive painfully slow. My eyes were darting around the street, and I noticed that we had gone from a deserted road to a road that actually had cars parked on curb, which I gratefully celebrated in my head.

She eventually pulled off to the side and parallel parked, looking at me, “We’re here.”

I looked around as I shrugged, “What is _here?_ ”

She rolled her eyes, “Just…c’mon, Minari.”

I got out of the car and walked beside her down the dark street towards this building, which was also giving me a weird feeling. I suddenly debated on whether or not I should text someone and let them know where we were just in case. Then again, I had no fucking clue where we were so that would be pointless.

I shoved my hands into my jacket, “What is this, an underground club or something?”

I received yet another vague answer, “Something like that.”

Shion led me up to a building that actually had a few people outside which made me feel a little bit better knowing we weren’t the only humans out here. Then again, it was still sketchy, and not just because it was dark and out in the middle of an abandoned part of town.

We walked up to a door that had an extremely built guy who I pinned as a body guard or bouncer of some sort. He glanced at Shion and nodded, letting her in without saying a single word. _What the hell was I about talk into?_

Then we walked through the door and down a flight of stairs. I could immediately hear loud rock music blaring through the walls as I quickly pinned this as a club, which seemed to be the only logical explanation. Then as soon as we made it through the basement-like-door I realized that wasn’t the case.

The open room was bright, loud chatter erupting and blending with the ongoing rock music that kind of made me want to hit someone’s face in. The first thing I took notice to was the caged ring in the middle, barricaded off so that the audience couldn’t get too close.

Shion grabbed my arm and dragged me to a bar located on the far side of the room, “Want a drink?”

I rolled my eyes, “I _want_ you to tell me what we’re doing here.”

Ignoring me again, she turned to the bartender and ordered, leaving me to keep to myself and look around. I was still holding my phone tightly in the palm of my hand, wondering why the hell we were here and when we were leaving. I knew Shion had always liked the UFC thing and all but this _definitely_ wasn’t that and I was immediately confused.

“We’re here to watch a fight.”

“A fight?” I answered sarcastically, as if I didn’t get that hint by seeing the damn ring in the middle of the room.

Shion handed me one of the drinks she had in her hand, “It’s an underground fight club.”

I had obviously begun to put two and two together as I nodded, not sure how I felt about this. I looked at her, “So it’s illegal?”

“Of course it’s illegal.”

I rolled my eyes, sipping my drink as I tried to calm my nerves. Why on earth would Shion bring me here of all places? Was she somehow involved with this? I looked at her uneasily, “Please don’t tell me you’re somehow tangled in this, Shion.”

Judging by the absence of a response, I knew she was in fact involved somehow or someway, and I was sure it was going to take her a bit to open up and tell me. I wanted to leave because this place had a lot of strange people, mostly consisting of middle-aged men wielding bottles of beer and arguing with heavy Brooklyn accents. It was unsettling to me but Shion looked at peace in her own head, which somehow helped me calm myself down, but I still wanted the truth.

I grabbed her elbow, hissing sharply, “ _Tell me the truth, Myoui Shion._ ”

She looked at me, giving me a sharp look, “Do not speak to me with that mom-like tone, Mina.”

“Well, tell me the truth for fuck’s sake!”

Then suddenly the lights dimmed as it all seemed to shine and focus on the ring that was only about ten feet from Shion and I. I cringed as a loud announcer’s voice spoke, “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, betting it closed and our first fight is about to begin!”

There was cheering and a lot of noise, which let me know Shion had been right, this was absolutely not my scene. I wanted to leave but Shion was here for a reason and I had no choice but to stay.

I felt Shion lean over and speak, “We’re only staying for the first fight so we’ll be in and out.”

“I don’t see why we’re here in the first place…” I mumbled under my breath,

I missed the next announcement, and to my surprise I saw a girl run out onto the ring. She was built, I wouldn’t say up to professional standards but she was still in significant shape. She pretended to box the air, hyping herself up before she and her opponent apparently duked it out. Things like this made me nervous, not just because it was illegal but because it was actually pretty dangerous, especially for whoever was fighting.

Then I heard the announcer yell into the microphone, “And welcome our second fighter, Hirai Momo!”

My eyes focused on the taller blonde that ran out onto the ring, her hair pulled back in a tight pony-tail as she remained calm and collected, unlike the other girl. Even though they were seconds away from kicking each other’s asses, I could help but let my eyes linger on the so-say Momo, whose eyes seems nonchalant however, it still looks like they held something dark behind them.

She was bouncing lightly on her feet, her calf muscles protruding as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that she was insanely gorgeous. She had nothing on but a pair of spandex that cutoff mid-thigh and a sports bra, showing off her obviously in-shape physique.

Shion nudged me, “Don’t get too carried away now, Minari.”

I shoved her back, still mad about actually being here. But after seeing Momo…well, I was kind of glad I did.

I couldn’t pull my eyes off of the blonde that seemed to be getting into her right mind as I dreaded the start of this fight. Something in me didn’t _want_ her to fight, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I was obvious _not_ a fighter or if it was something just a little more than I was aware of.

I moved closer to the ring, feeling Shion follow behind me as I pushed through the crowd. My heart was pounding in my ears as I tool in the hype of the arena, grasping that I had completely drowned out everything that was going around me. The loud bell rang through my ears, signaling the start of the fight and sending Momo and the other girl into defense mode.

I watched Momo dance around the ring, she and her opponent mocking each other. They were light on their feet, fists raised in front of their faces for protection. Momo’s eyes were laced with darkness, watching the girl that accompanied her in the ring. She looked so focused on her, as if there was nothing else around when she was standing in that ring.

Then, everything kind of happened quickly as the opponent attempted a jab, but Momo had seen it coming, dodging it quickly. She danced around the dark-haired girl that seemed a little too eager, which only made her look amateur.

Momo moved quickly, delivering a quick punch to the girl’s lower jaw, missing the sweet spot she had been aiming for. Momo was quick, her movements were off-beat to the girl that she was fighting, and her bobbing and weaving looked to be at random. Out of the two, it was obvious Momo was the more skilled one, which took some of my unwanted anxiety off of my shoulders.

I could feel the intensity of the crowd around me, knowing that something like this was dangerous but it only added to the dark atmosphere. I watched nervously, feeling the heat on my skin run to an all-time high as Momo moved in this time, confusing her opponent as she delivered another punch that couldn’t be blocked.

Then her opponent kicked, Momo’s strong arms catching it almost immediately as she flipped the girl onto her back, sending a wave of excitement around the ring. I felt everything in my body clench at the sudden violent sight, not being able to peel my eyes away out of horror.

Momo was on the top of the girl immediately, hands pounding her consistently for about three seconds before she stood, the referee pulling her up due to the end of the first round. I watched the girl on the ground pop back up, looking as if she had kept her shit together and managed not to get knocked out. It had obviously been a sloppy move on her part but now she had a second chance to get her mind right, although I found myself actually rooting for Momo.

Momo’s back was facing me, allowing me to take in all of the contours. She was built, that was obvious, but it wasn’t all that, that was grabbing my attention. I could see a hint of something, _was that a tattoo?_ I found my eyes trying to figure it out but couldn’t because almost immediately the loud bell signaled the second round of the fight.

This time Momo wasted no time, ducking and weaving her feet lightly, dancing towards the girl again. She seemed to know what she was doing but her opponent predicted her next move, dodging Momo’s punch and sending one on Momo’s way.

I heard the impact of the girl’s hand against Momo’s face, busting her lip open as Momo recoiled. Her opponent took this as an opportunity to move in but Momo was prepared, not allowing this blow to hinder her ability. Lifting up quickly, I watched as Momo sent the meanest looking upper-cut right into the girl’s chin, the sound of fist hitting the bone filled my ears.

I grimaced, watching Momo’s anger flare up against the girl, looking as if she wasn’t even in her own head now. Momo didn’t hesitate any longer, moving into her opponent and dodging an upcoming punch, sending her final blow into the girl’s head. I heard the impact once again, watching the clean knock-out as Momo’s opponent fell to the ground.

The crowd cheered manically but all I could see was the darkness in Momo’s eyes, as if she had taken revenge on someone that had wronged her for years. It was a terrifying sight as Shion’s hand pulled on my arm, sending me back into reality.

She spoke, “Come on, let’s go. It’s over.”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the ring where Momo was being shuffled off while the girl lying in the ring was revived out of her unconscious state. I didn’t know Momo, but seeing a look like that in someone’s eyes was gravely unnerving, and it was replaying in the back of my head over and over.

Shion led me out of the arena and down the street, back towards the car where we had parked. I shook my head, “Why the hell did you bring me there?”

“You asked to come.”

I stopped, grabbing Shion’s arm firmly, pulling her attention to me. I protested, “No, why did we come tonight? Why?”

She shrugged, “Because I’m fighting Momo in a few weeks and I needed to watch her fight.”

I was shocked, completely off guard by the fact that Shion was in fact involved, and not in the way I had imagined. _Why_ was my sister involved in something like this? For game? For money? And knowing she was going to be fighting the blonde I had just watched demolished the amateur in that ring only made me feel even more uneasy.

“Minari, say _something._ ”

I looked over at Shion who was watching me with a worried expression on her face, as if she was afraid I was about to blow my shit. I didn’t know what to think of this situation but I was trying to keep calm, and lashing out on Shion out of anger wasn’t my style even though I was highly upset.

I questioned, “ _Why?_ ”

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing this? The fighting?”

She seemed to relax at the fact that I wasn’t freaking out on her, even though I wanted to, so she answered quite calmly, “Money, experience…it’s kind of like a paid practice.”

I rolled my eyes at yet another vague answer, “Practice for what?”

“I wanna go pro.”

I groaned, “Then you get yourself into an amateur pro league that isn’t illegal, Shion. Not some underground betting shit that could get you killed.”

She looked at me, “Minari, there’s a lot of people down there that actually scout for incoming fighters. I know what I’m doing, and I’m good at it.”

I shook my head, peering out of the window out of anger. _She was good at it, yeah._ That made it okay to be involved. I was fearing for her safety while all she was worried about was getting paid to beat up random girls

“Good news is, if I win the fight against Momo I might actually get a chance to go pro.”

This got my attention as I looked at her, feeling some bit of relief although I knew Momo could obviously kick ass. I had never seen Shion fight, which made me nervous, but underestimating my sister wasn’t something I did often.

“What happens if you don’t?”

“Then, I have to win _three_ more fights…It’s like a tally game almost. You lose a fight, you lose prestige, causing you to have to regain it with _more_ fights. It’s a paperless contract kind of thing…so winning next week is a must for me.”

After everything that had happened tonight this seemed to be the only good thing to come out of it. I was grateful that my sister was trying to do something pretty amazing like join the UFC, even though I didn’t agree with her choice of entry. But she was apparently good, and knowing she only had to win _one_ more fight put a little relief back in my heart. The illegal thing was dangerous and I didn’t like it all, but she could be very well be getting out of it by the end of next week.

I was just hoping for the best and praying away the worst.

~

Walking the streets of New York City wasn’t something I enjoyed, especially because the masses of people you had to fight were extremely annoying and stepping a gum was an hourly occurrence. I continued to shove my way down the block as my earphones drowned out the car horns and the evening chatter, but unfortunately it didn’t prevent people from running into me. I mean, I knew I’m tiny but I wasn’t invisible.

As I checked my phone, I realized it was already 6:30 in the afternoon and I had accomplished absolutely nothing since I had left school at 5:50. I stood at the crosswalk across the street from my next and hopefully final destination in my mission for finding an available dance studio. There stood on the corner of Bond and Layafette Street was _The Iron Summit_ gym, and I prayed silently they would have what I was searching for. If they didn’t then I was clean out of ideas. I had gone to two other gyms and had come up short, leaving this to be my last option.

Considering the responsibility had fallen onto _my_ shoulders for finding a studio was bullshit, but if you wanted something done right, you had to do it. The fact that the University had decided to start renovation the dance studios during _my last_ semester was a pain in the ass and a stupid decision, but I was hopeful that this would turn out okay in the end. It was just for four months anyway.

The crosswalk changed and I paced quickly along with what felt like a million other people, and soon I was tugging on the front door of my destination.

I stopped my music and the sound of hard rock and moving weight equipment filled my ears. I continued walking towards what looked to be the front desk but had no one waiting there, so I stood there patiently hoping an employee would spot me and offer their help.

It took all but five minutes for a familiar blonde to grab my attention, “Are you waiting for something?”

 _It was that Momo girl_. My eyes immediately locked onto hers, which were the loveliest shade of dark brown I had ever seen. Her curved eyebrows and long lashes only complimented them further, and I immediately was brought back into reality when I watched them squint in confusion.

I stuttered, “I, uh, yeah, I was wondering if I could speak to someone that worked here…”

One brow raised and a tiny smirk played on her pink lips. She set her black bag down the counter and nodded, “I’m off the clock but I’ll help you.”

_So beating people up wasn’t her primary job…_

I smiled nervously, “Thanks…” her dark eyes took me and I realized she was waiting to hear what I needed. I began again, “I was just uh, wondering if this place had any studios I could use. Possibly from 6:00 to 9:00?”

She looked behind her as if she was searching for someone else and I realized she honestly didn’t want to be doing this. I felt bad for keeping her considering she was supposedly off the clock but she ordered, “Yeah, follow me.”

So, I did follow her, a few steps behind her because I honestly felt a bit scared associating with the girl. Then, of course my eyes involuntary travelled down her slim back and over her toned bottom, along with her thighs. Her tight jeans really complimented her body, and she had black boots laced up to her lower calf muscles. A significant part of me was intimidated by her but I couldn’t run the other way. I had to follow her because I _really_ needed to find an available studio to use and it was looking good right now.

_And so was Momo…_

I rolled my eyes, _Don’t be stupid, she’s practically an enemy now that Shion was going to fight her…_

Jogging behind her and up the stairs, she led me to an indoor track which laced around two separate studio doors. I followed willingly up to the door that read _Studio B_ as she pulled out a pair of keys and unlocked the door, opening it. I tried not to brush against her as I moved inside, seeing the long stretch of wooden floor and a huge mirror that resembled so many other studios I had seen in my many years of dancing.

I turned back towards her, “This is perfect.”

Her gaze was locked on me, and almost out of nowhere I felt the heating of my skin. Those haunting eyes traveled back to my own as she stood up straight from leaning against the door frame. I felt something in me quiver as I watched her alluring body language, “It’s available from 6:00 to 9:00 every day.”

I tried not to stare too much but instead found myself mesmerized by the movement of her lips, “I would only need it Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.”

She nodded, “Well, consider it done then. I just have to bring you to talk to the boss.”

I waited and watched her lock the door back, taking notice to how her hands were calloused and strong. The muscles were visible to the naked eye, which reminded me how lethal those hands really were. Then the images of her fighting popped back into my memory after a few days of suppressing them.

_Of all places, why did she have to work here?_

She brought me back downstairs and through a narrow hallway that led to two doors. Knocking on one door that was slightly ajar, she spoke, “Hey Kai, someone’s here to talk to you about renting Studio B.”

I heard a male voice, “Thanks Momo.”

She turned, brushing past me slightly as her hands delicately touched my elbows while moving around, cause the very breath I had been taking to get stuck in my throat. It wasn’t until she had removed herself from my sight when I noticed I could breathe normal again as I turned back towards the man in the office.

I stepped inside and came face to face with a tall young man that swiveled to face me in his rolling chair. He’s the boss? He seems too young to be the boss. He extended his hand in front of me and I took it, “How can I help you?”

I pressed, “Um, well your Studio B, I was wondering if it would be available to rent on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00?”

He nodded, “Of course, we just have to sort out the financial billing…”

I gave him the contact numbers for the University and smiled, “I’m a student, they’re renovating the studios so they’re going to be taking care of the money situation.”

He took the card from me and nodded, “Well, that was easy. I’ll give them a call.”

I nodded, smiling gratefully, “Thank you so much.”

He looked up to me, giving me a queue to leave and allow him to sort out things with the university, “No problem. Are you planning on coming in tomorrow?”

“Would it be available for use?”

He picked up the phone and dialed, speaking one last sentence to me, “Yeah, just find an employee when you come in tomorrow and tell them Kai said to let you into Studio B, okay? What’s your name, just in case they ask?”

I waved, “Myoui Mina.”

He nodded, signaling me to leave.

Then I walked out of the office, finding myself searching for the gorgeous blonde and realizing she was nowhere to be found. I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or relieved that she had disappeared but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to be here tomorrow when I come in.

~

“Sana-chan, I’m telling you the studio is _perfect_ , and it’s only ten minutes from campus!”

My phone was pressed against my ear as I was already walking towards the gym for the second time this week. Yesterday, after Momo had helped me out and the owner ironed out the financial details with the University, the studio was now all ours to rent out this entire semester. At least, our tuition money was going towards _something_ useful.

She responded from the other end, “ _Well, I’ll see you in thirty minutes then. Don’t get hit by a car crossing the street, okay?_ ”

I rolled my eyes and smiled, “Um, thanks, I guess?”

She laughed, “Jaa ne.”

I ended the call and returned to my music, knowing the rest of the crew wouldn’t be showing up for another thirty minutes and I was already letting myself into the gym. I could easily occupy myself but when I walked in I spotted Momo, which led me to believe she works here every day. She was actually in work attire today which consisted of a dark grey polo shirt and khaki shorts, and I felt like a creep as I noticed I had stared at her ass while she was bending over a piece of equipment while wiping it down.

I remembered immediately how intimidating she had been and we had barely exchanged any words. There was the fact that I knew steering clear was probably in my best interest but she seemed to be the only available employee around. _Was she the only one that worked here? Jeez…_

I walked up to her timidly even though her back was turned. I tapped lightly on her shoulder, praying she wouldn’t turn around and black slap me as I came face to face with those amazing eyes.

She pulled out one earphone and gave me a worker’s smile. “Hey.”

I returned the gesture, “Hey again.”

She stood in front of me and stated, “I’m guessing you need to get into the studio?”

I nodded shyly, seeing those eyes lock onto me, causing my heart to throb inside my chest. The fact that she was so gorgeous really pissed me off considering she would be in the ring with my sister in a few weeks, and I shouldn’t be thinking about her like that.

I followed her up the stairs and towards the studio door, watching her unlock it and enabling me to step inside and drop my bag. I had nothing to do for the next half hour and I honestly didn’t believe Momo wanted to get back to cleaning the equipment, but once again the more logical side of my brain won.

“Let me know if I can help you with anything else,” then she turned away, and I allowed her to leave me alone in the studio.

I walked to my bag and checked the time on my phone, knowing the time was going to pass slowly now that I was alone. I then suddenly remembered I hadn’t brought a stereo, and rehearsal was going to be absolutely pointless without it.

_I could go downstairs and ask Momo for one…_

But that would require me to talk to her again.

_Oh, don’t act like you don’t like it…_

I exited the studio quickly and found Momo walking through the lobby, making me nervous to approach her again. I probably seemed so fucking needy to her, she was probably annoyed with me already.

Jesus, I needed to get my shit together.

She turned from the front desk and locked eyes with me, almost running me over, “Shit, sorry.”

I shook my head, “No, my bad…uh, would you happen to have a stereo? I forgot mine at my place.”

I attempted to read her expression and find a hint of annoyance somewhere but there was no trace of such an emotion. She seemed relaxed and calm, which made me chill out in response as well.

“Another favor?” she responded, a tiny tease of smirk of her lips.

My heart beat sped up under her stare, “Last one of the day, I promise.”

She nodded for me to follow, “We might have one in storage.”

Following behind her, I tried to keep my eyes straight on her back and not allow them to travel any further down. We quickly made it to a tiny room as she opened the door with a key, and for some reason I stepped into the room with her. I knew it was a stupid decision but I had done it unconsciously, not aware that the room was smaller than it seemed.

She bent down, my hand accidentally grazing her leg in the process and I felt my breathing hitch. She stood up, facing me with a portable stereo in her hands, “This should do.”

I took the stereo from her, grazing her hands and feeling a tingling run up through my own and down my back. We were close from the little space we had in the storage closet, and as I came back into reality, I realized I should probably stop making myself look more stupid than I already did.

I stared, “You know, I never got your name.”

She opened the door that led back to the main lobby and smiled slightly, “It’s Momo. Hirai Momo”

I had obviously known her name from encountering her last Friday but I knew she didn’t know mine. I responded, “Nice knowing you, Momo. I’m Mina. Myoui Mina.”

I watched a tiny smile creep on her face, “That’s a pretty name.”

I couldn’t help but reveal a full on blush this time, “Thanks.”

“I should probably get back to work.”

I glanced up one last time before disappearing back up to the studio to set up, “Thanks, Momo.”

I escaped then, quickly returning to the studio where I tried to calm my heart rate and delete the redness from my cheeks. I rolled my eyes, scolding myself internally, _Mina, get your shit together! Now is not the time to grow an infatuation with the cute gym worker who also happens to like to beat the shit out of people!_

Annoyance coursed through me at my internal dialogue, even though I knew better than to obtain any distractions, here I was losing my shit around Momo. It’s not like it was intentional, and it’s not like I was _choosing_ to be around her, she was just there and available…

But I found myself thinking about her anyway, as if I had absolutely no control over my own thoughts anymore. She was a distraction indeed, but I realized slowly that she was becoming a distraction that I didn’t mind thinking about, at all.

~

Checking my phone, I realized it was already time to go as I turned off the borrowed stereo and grabbed a sip of water, I could hear Sana’s voice behind me, “I think we made a lot of progress!”

I looked over to her, nodding in agreement, “We better be, the recitals in a little over a month.”

She put her hand on my shoulder and smiled reassuringly, “Minari, we have the best group of people. We’ll be fine.”

She walked around to gather her things as Bambam walked up to me, allowing me to prepare myself for the question I had been avoiding this entire rehearsal. I watched his dark eyes wander towards mine as he pressed a curious smile onto his lips, “So, is there a reason you haven’t returning my texts?”

I took in deep breath and shrugged, “I’ve been really busy with school and helping choreograph the fall recital…”

I wasn’t completely lying, but in all honesty I just didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. I knew he was into me more than a friend, he made that pretty obvious, but I was trying to make it _more_ obvious that I was _not_.

He ran one hand through his blonde hair, looking at the ground and then back at me. I knew he wasn’t buying the excuse considering it took no time to text him back whenever I did find time, but if he was disappointed, he was good at hiding it.

“I just wanted to hang out outside of school…”

I smiled sarcastically, “We’re technically _not_ in school right now.”

He rolled his eyes, “Let me take you on a date, Minari.”

I sucked in a tight breath and glanced around, noticing everyone had pretty much ditched and left me and Bambam here alone in the studio. I glanced at my phone and noticed it was late as I responded, “Bambam…I’m not looking for anything serious right now-”

Then I heard a knock on the door, grabbing mine and Bambam’s attention. I looked into the brown eyes of Momo, who was not dressed in jeans and still her work shirt, complimented with a leather jacket and boots. She politely asked, “Is it okay if I lock up this studio?”

Bambam took this as his queue to leave as he glanced at me, “Consider it, please.”

Then he took off out the door, leaving me alone but this time with Momo, the magnificent gym worker that could literally kick your ass if you got on her bad side. I picked up my bag and moved towards the door, “Sorry, for holding you up…”

I walked around her, smelling her perfume that lingered also with a slight hint of leather. It was a weird-but-nice aroma as she closed the door to the studio, “You weren’t, it’s just turning 9:00 now.”

For some reason, I found myself lingering around her, as if I wanted her attention just a little bit more before I go home. She turned, indicating it was time to lock up the gym and leave for the day, but conversation seized which kind of annoyed me. Even though I should be avoiding her at all costs, I found myself enjoying the little conversation we did exchange, and I liked having her attention.

She walked me out to the front and asked, “You’re walking dressed like that?”

She was indicating towards my dancer shorts, which weren’t really shorts but more like spandex. I hadn’t bothered bringing sweats to slip on over after practice and I wasn’t changing back into my jeans I had worn today. I nodded, “The bus is only around the corner.”

Granted now that she had pointed it out, it felt like a really stupid decision, but there was nothing I could do now.

She took a heavy breath that made even _me_ uneasy but she nodded me off, “Goodnight, Myoui.”

She turned then, not even giving me a chance to tell her bye as I turned too, heading towards the bus stop. I wondered why she didn’t comply to calling me to my first name like everyone else, she must be just being polite but I realized I didn’t mind as I continued to hear her sexy voice speak my name inside my head. She carried herself with such ease and confidence, and I wondered silently if she was the arrogant type, which didn’t really seem to be the case.

Walking to the bus stop, I felt uneasy at the fact that I was walking in seriously skimpy clothing, and now my nerves were getting the best of me since Momo wasn’t beside me. I should’ve been smarter than that, and I should’ve brought my sweats to slip on.

Then suddenly, I felt someone next to me, and as I turned I noticed it was the blonde-haired girl that had parted from me only seconds ago. She confessed, “I can’t let you walk alone.”

Even though the city lights lit up the dark streets of New York, I hoped she couldn’t see the redness of my cheeks. Even though she seemed cold and hard on the outside, I knew she had some sympathy somewhere on the inside, even if it was very miniscule.

I teased, “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

I watched her eyes dart along the street but never once at me, forcing me to realize I really wanted her attention. It was flattering that she was offering to walk me to the bus stop but her lingering silence only confused me.

She shook her head, “I don’t think you would even stand a chance against my dog.”

I rolled my eyes at her comment, “I’m stronger than you think.”

This time her eyes did catch mine as she stated, “I know that you’re a dancer and all but your _grace and rhythm_ won’t win you your life if it came down to it.”

I could see the familiar darkness in her eyes grow, the same darkness I had seen last Friday when I watched her fight. It was extremely unsettling, but soon we were stopping at the bus stop. I gazed up at her, taking not to how her voice had sharpened, like she had experienced something she wasn’t letting me in on. Then, before I got the chance to ask her about it, our moment was cut short as the bus rolled to a stop beside us.

I questioned, “Are you gonna be okay walking back?”

_She would obviously be fine, Mina, I mean look at her._

A tiny smile grew on her face at my own worry, “I’ll be okay.”

She turned briskly and I called out, “Momo!”

She turned around.

I smiled shyly at her full attention, “Thanks…for walking me.”

Giving me a slight smile and a stiff nod, she turned around and began walking down the darkened street while I took my place on the bus to go home.

~

“Just one more semester, just one more…” I spoke to myself as I hauled my ass to my next class that was gratefully upstairs and not across the street. Considering I only went to school Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s, I tried not to complain inside my own head too much. I was nearly finished with school, all I had to do was push through the next few months and prepare myself for my upcoming internship in January.

I was ready to get started with my life and get my damn degree already.

Taking a seat in my final class which so happened to be probably my least interesting, I tried not to zone out. Since I had parted from Momo last night, all I could think about was her alluring eyes and the way she had said my name, and I found myself eager to see her again. Then I remembered I wouldn’t be seeing her till tomorrow when we had dance rehearsals again.

And for some odd reason, tomorrow afternoon wouldn’t come fast enough.

I checked my phone in hopes to see at least some time had passed but sadly I still had fort-five minutes left as my time read _5:05_. I rolled my eyes as I checked my messages and saw nothing spectacular, then I felt my stomach cramp in hunger. A sudden realization hits me as I recognized Shion and I had absolutely nothing to eat tonight for dinner because I had forgotten to go grocery shopping yesterday.

This only caused me to lose more focus as the time ticked on and I retained absolutely nothing from this boring lecture. I had taken numerous amounts of management courses over the years due to the fact that I was majoring in Business Management, but this class was literal repetition. I knew all the terms she was going over and I also knew my last semester that actually contained classes was a joke.

I could pass with a 4.0 GPA this semester _in my sleep._

I watched the clock on the wall tick away, praying that it would speed up and dismiss me to where I could call my older sister and ask if she wanted me to pick up take-out. Thankfully, she wasn’t a picky eater as long as the dinner remained healthy, which was something I had gotten used to when I moved in with her. It’s not like I minded considering I needed to take care of myself as well. I was a dancer, staying fit and thin was a must, especially in college.

I was hoping she wasn’t busy when I called after class, knowing she could very well be in a session with one of her clients. She was a personal trainer and actually made decent money, even though she technically didn’t have while I lived with her and went to school.

Our parents had been covering our rent and my allowance since I moved here for college, “so I wouldn’t be distracted from school”.

It’s not like I minded. I had been able to focus on my studies and not have to worry about making ends meet all while actually having a bit of spending money. Then, once I finished my internship they offered to help me open my own dance studio in my hometown since the old one was literally falling to ruins.

I was just ready to get out of New York City.

Finally, the sound of my peers packing up sent me back into reality as I began doing the same, preparing myself to leave. I pulled the bag against my back as I ran out of the building, dialing up my sister.

She answered, “Minari, how was school?”

I smiled at her sisterly ways, “Great, I was wondering if you’d want take out tonight? I kind of forgot to go shopping.”

I waited for her to bitch me out, “Yeah, that’s fine. You know what I like.”

I was surprised at the calmness in her voice, making me wonder if she was at work or doing something else. I agreed willingly, “Okay. I’ll pick something up then. See you tonight.”

“Be safe.”

I hung up and decided on sushi, knowing that it wasn’t far from me or the nearest bus stop as I pressed my earphones into my ears. The fall weather was starting to roll in and it got me excited, knowing it would be cooling down soon, the only thing I didn’t enjoy was the harsh winters we faced up here.

I walked quickly; watching the street of cars and seeing two bikes dart down the street, cutting though the traffic. The irresponsible act angered me slightly as I shook my head, _Idiots…_

I continued to walk and round the corner, finally coming to the sushi restaurant as I walked inside. The smell of this place always got my stomach growling, and as I walked up towards the counter to order, I felt a pair of eyes on my back. Ignoring the weird feeling, I walked up and ordered mine and Shion’s usual, Edamame, miso soup and salmon and avocado rolls. Simply thinking about the meal brought saliva into my closed mouth as I paid and turned around, suddenly coming face to face with Momo herself.

Looking up I gathered myself, “Momo, hey…”

Her mouth remained shut as she smirked, teasing me as I felt my brain beg to see her full smile. She nodded, “Hey, Myoui.”

I took notice to how her blonde hair was damp, as if she had just showered, and her natural look seemed to only make me _more_ attracted to her. She looked relaxed but not relaxed at the same time, and during this moment I realized we had both stared a little too long for it not to be considered weird.

Then another girl walked up besides Momo, “Hey, cutie.”

I looked into her dark brown eyes that almost looked black as she smiled a gorgeously white smile, forcing me to realize she was actually talking to me. I smiled politely as I wondered where all of these painfully attractive people were coming from, “Hi.”

Momo seemed to grow uncomfortable at the girl’s approach to me but attempted to brush it off quickly, but not before I noticed. She turned towards the tall girl, “Chou Tzuyu, this is Myoui Mina.”

She stuck out her hand and I took it, realizing my hand disappeared in hers as we shook. She never broke eye contact as I nodded, “It’s nice to meet you.”

She nodded, “Same here, you must be the dancer Momo’s told me about?”

I saw an uneasy expression crossing Momo’s face as she stepped in front of Tzuyu, attempting to block her view and cut our introduction short. It was cute the way she seemed to get slightly embarrassed at her friend’s mentioning. She asked, “Coming from school?”

She indicated towards my bag that I still had on my back, allowing me to nod “Yeah, I just got off, now I’m just picking up dinner.”

I could see a tiny smile hinting on her lips but it never quite broke free, but I was attempting to take advantage of this conversation. She honestly hadn’t left my mind since last Friday but actually talking to her last night only made me crave her attention even more. So running into her today had been a real treat, and I wanted to prolong it as much as possible.

“You’re not eating here?”

Looking back into those magnificent eyes, I shook my head, “No, bringing I home for me and my sister.”

I saw Tzuyu nudge Momo slightly, as if she was encouraging her to do something. She rolled her eyes as she answered, “That’s too bad, I would’ve invited you to sit with us.”

Hearing her say these things made me want to smile like an idiot because she was painfully adorable and nothing like the girl I had seen in the ring. I could tell she wasn’t used to doing these types of things, and the fact that I had to turn her down made me feel even worse.

I would’ve loved to keep her company during dinner.

“Order for Mina!”

I snapped out of my thoughts and went to the counter, grabbing my order and turning back to face Momo. I could see something in her eyes, hope maybe? Then again, there was something there she was battling beyond what I could decipher.

I smiled politely for my departure, looking at Tzuyu first, “Nice meeting you.”

She smiled widely and nodded, “You too.”

I looked at Momo one last time and realized her eyes were already on me, studying me intently as if she wanted to ask me something but instead refused. She smiled, “Be safe going home, Mina.”

I smiled wider at her finally using my first name, “Goodbye Momo.”

I parted from her, feeling the familiar shortness of breath, I always had to battle when I spoke to her. I didn’t understand why I felt so weird around her, and it wasn’t because I was confused with what I liked because that wasn’t the case at all. I knew I was attracted to girls, but for some reason it was different with Momo, like there was this weird force trying to bring me closer to her every time I was with her.

Except that “force” needed to chill the fuck out because even though Momo seemed nice, I knew what she was capable of. Then at the same time, I wanted to be afraid, I just couldn’t and I found myself continuously looking for her over my shoulder.

I hadn’t felt so… _infatuated_ with someone like this before, but here I was crushing on my sister’s next opponent.

I am so screwed.


	2. Chapter 02

“So are you and Bambam gonna hook up or not?”

The comment rolled off Sana’s tongue so quick I almost didn’t comprehend it, and I looked up to face the question. Her coffee-brown eyes were wide with curiosity, patiently awaiting my answer.

I shook my head, “Probably not, he’s way too pushy. Plus, I’m not that into him…”

“He’s just asking to hang out, you know, not like to marry you or anything.”

I rolled my eyes, “What’s the point of going on a sort-of date when I’m not even into him like that? It’s just gonna give him the wrong idea.”

This time, I saw something flash in her curious eyes, something that let me knew she understood, “I guess you have a point,” then smiled, “So he’s free?”

I laughed at my friend’s asking for permission, knowing she didn’t really have to ask. I nod along in agreement, “Yes, Sana, he’s free.”

“So, are you going to tell me the theme of the Fall Recital or not?”

I announced, “I was going to tell everyone today during rehearsal.”

She yipped in excitement, “Is it something cool?”

I rolled my eyes, laughing, “Of course it’s something _cool_ , and I’ve already started choreographing one our sets.”

“Can I try to guess?”

I shook my head, “No.”

“Okay, then tell me.”

I answered, “ _No._ ”

She whimpered, “Oh _c’mon_ , Mina-cchi! I’m your bestfriend! You would if you loved me…”

I countered annoyingly, “You always have to ruin a good surprise.”

She waved her hand, “I won’t ruin it for everyone else, and I’ll act equally excited when you tell them.”

I answered reluctantly, “Well, since the recital’s scheduled on Halloween night, the theme is a “ _Night-mare to Remember”,_ so the individual dances will have something do with that. Our first number is girls only, we’re dolls in a dollhouse. Our second and last number is a freak show.”

Sana clapped, “That sounds so exciting! What’s the story line?”

I rolled my eyes, wishing she wouldn’t pry out everything before I got a chance to tell the rest of the crew. I answered accordingly anyway, “Well, the story is one person gets trapped in a bunch of nightmares and that’s what all the different acts are, different dreams. Get it?”

She nodded, “I got it, this is gonna be so exciting!”

I held my hands up, “The rest of the details will have to wait, so no more prying.”

She smiled mischievously and nodded, “Fine.”

Immediately my thoughts went to Momo as I thought about going to the gym this evening, and I was hoping she would be there. _And if she wasn’t you’re not going to be disappointed…_

I rolled my eyes at my internal thoughts, realizing it was wrong because if she wasn’t, I was in fact going to be disappointed. For some reason, I looked forward to the feeling I got when I was around her even though it kind of scared me at the same time.

Then there was a snapping noise in my face, “Hello! Earth to Mina! What the hell? You just missed my entire rant on how my stupid Marketing professor gave us a pop quiz. I totally failed that shit.”

I looked at her, realizing I had zoned out as I apologized, “Shit, I’m sorry. That sucks though.”

She tilted her head, “What were you think about?”

I felt my cheeks blush at the question, knowing I was a horrible liar, especially with Sana. She had a keen sense on when someone was dishonest, courtesy of her parents blessing her with a devious younger brother.

I shrugged, “Just the recital…”

“Liar.”

I took in a heavy breath and shook my head, “I’m really not thinking about anything specific, my mind’s just wandering. That’s all.”

“No, I know that look. You were thinking about someone.”

The fact that she could literally read me like a book annoyed me but flattered me at the same time. I didn’t call her my bestfriend for nothing, and I knew hiding it from her was useless. I just didn’t want to bring it up because Momo and I really weren’t anything. I just somehow found myself infatuated with the gorgeous blonde that worked at the gym, but telling Sana was inevitable.

I started, “So, there’s this girl…”

“I knew it! Okay, continue…”

I laughed, “I’ve only spoken to her maybe like, three times but she’s so gorgeous, Sana…”

“What’s her name? Does she go to school with us? Where’d you meet her-?”

“Sana,” I interrupted her outburst of questions and smiled, “It’s nothing serious, I was just answering your question.”

“But now I’m interested!”

I realized I enjoyed talking about Momo with Sana, even if it was vague. I hadn’t really been able to get my emotions out lately and Momo had been on my mind since I met her Monday afternoon at the gym so I pegged this as an opportunity to actually talk about her, and luckily Sana was always so eager to hear that I actually found someone interesting considering it didn’t happen often.

I answered her first question, “Her name’s Momo.”

Sana smiled as she spoke, “Momo and Mina, Mina and Momo…K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Yeah, I think it sounds good.”

I laughed at her teasing, feeling myself blush. If anyone walked around our table, they would swear we were still in high school by the way Sana was acting about my secret crush that wasn’t so secret anymore. I scolded her lightly, “Sana, stop! It’s nothing serious, I told you that.”

She stopped but kept a smile on her face, “Where’d you met her?”

_Oh, you know, just last Friday when she demolished a girl’s face. No big deal…_

I remembered that night vividly but I couldn’t reveal that so I spoke about the afternoon I had actually met her at the gym. I smiled at how she had been so helpful yet so guarded and quiet at the same time. “The gym where we rehearse,” I answered, “She works there.”

Sana seemed to find this insanely important as she wiggled her eyebrows, “So, this means I’m gonna get to see her today?”

I rolled my eyes, “Unfortunately,” I spoke firmly, “Don’t embarrass me.”

“That’s my job!”

I began finishing up my lunch as I pointed my fork at her, “Well, I’m firing you from that job, so…”

She pestered, “Fine! I won’t do anything stupid, but you better introduce us or _else_.”

“Deal,” I agreed willingly, suddenly looking forward to this evening where I would hopefully get another chance to talk to Momo.

            ~

Walking towards the gym with Sana at my side caused my blood to rush to its surface.  I was too nervous to see Momo again but I was also looking forward to it. Not to mention, I was also kind of hesitant to introduce Sana considering she had a history of embarrassing me around the people I actually liked. I just prayed she wouldn’t do that today.

Opening the door to the gym, I saw her sitting at the front desk, almost looking like she was waiting for me to show up. I felt my breathing hitch in my throat as my consistent steps seem to stutter at the sight of her. Tzuyu, the girl I had met last Wednesday afternoon at the sushi restaurant, was sitting next to her looking down at her phone.

I heard Sana hiss next to me, squeezing my arm in the process, “Jesus, they’re both _gorgeous_.”

I hit her in her ribs as we walked up to the counter, a smile involuntary creeping onto my lips. I spoke, “Hey.”

“Hi,” Momo’s smooth voice filled my ears.

This caused Tzuyu’s brown eyes to look up, taking me in and then Sana. Momo just gave me her usual closed-mouth smile, her dark eyes never once pulling away from me. I unfortunately pulled my gaze away and saw Tzuyu’s toothy smile spread across her smooth face. I could feel Sana nearly melt at the sight of her.

I wasted no time, “Sana, that’s Tzuyu, and this is Momo.”

All three of them shook hands, exchanging _hellos_ as Momo continued to eye me, “I talked to Kai about the stereo problem, so he ended up installing a system yesterday for the studio.”

Suddenly, I was overwhelmingly excited at the sound of that.

She nodded, “I’ll show you how to work it.”

I fell into stride next to her, hearing Sana and Tzuyu talking behind me. I wanted to talk to Momo but for some reason my words are failing me today and I can’t help feeling disappointed at myself. Momo seemed to be in a better mood today and here I was too shy to say anything back.

She unlocked the door and led me inside, along with the other two that seemed to be already exchanging numbers. I followed her up to the brand new system, taking notice on how she walked so gracefully. Those khaki shorts showed off her toned legs, and as I peeled my eyes off of her legs, I noticed in the wide-set mirror that she had been watching me check her out the entire time.

I sucked in a breath, feeling the blood rush to my face. _Oh. My. God._

She flashed me a cute smile and spoke, “Here’s an AUX cord, there’s a CD player on this side too. Just be sure to keep the music down to minimum because this thing gets really loud. The volume dial is right here and you can control the surround sound with these buttons.”

I watched her hands the entire time, noticing hints of scarred tissue on both sets of her knuckles. Something inside me raged with the memories of the other night but then she pulled her hands down and out of my sight.

The entirety of her body faced me, giving me full sight our height difference. She wasn’t towering over me but I still had to pull my eyes up just a bit to look at her. Her blonde hair was down today, which I liked a lot, and I noticed there wasn’t much distance between us.

I was about to answer her but Sana, of course, had to make a fool out of herself.

“Tzuyu said you were single, Momo. Is that true?”

Our moment was interrupted as I gritted my teeth in annoyance, realizing Sana must’ve been trying to piss me off. I half-expected Momo to get angry and start a fight by the way she carried herself, but instead she just nodded and continued looking between me and Sana, “Uh, well…”

I shoved Sana, “ _Go away…_ ”

I heard Momo laugh slightly at Sana’s childishness.

Something in my heart quivered as her dark eyes locked right back onto me, and then Sana pried again, “Is _Tzuyu_ single?”

Momo smiled, answering her this time, “She’s _definitely_ single.”

I looked past and realized she had disappeared, probably to get back to work so she and Momo wouldn’t get in trouble. Sana pinched my arm playfully as she left Momo and I alone, walking over towards the door where she had dropped her dance bag.

I ran one hand through my black hair, praying Momo wasn’t offset by Sana’s insane need to intrude on our conversation. Although, I found myself actually curious as to if Momo was in fact single or not…

I shook my head, “I’m sorry…she’s a bit, _out there._ ”

This time, I saw her smile grow just a little bit as my heart raced, “I know your pain, Tzuyu is just like that.”

Then, as I started getting comfortable under Momo’s magnificent gaze, people started walking into the studio, interrupting us once again. I tried not to get too disappointed that our moment had to come to an end because I had work to do but I found myself dissatisfied about it regardless.

She nodded, “I’ll leave you to it.”

Everything in me wanted to scream when I couldn’t even muster up anything besides a smile, leaving me to watch her turn and disappear out the door. God, she was just so intense, everything about her. The way her eyes never left mine, like she was afraid she would miss something if she tore her eyes away for just a second…

“Do I sense some _sexual tension_?”

I looked at Sana and rolled my eyes, “I hate you.”

She smiled, “Hey, you weren’t gonna ask. I was doing you a favor.”

I decided to ignore and continue on with practice, still annoyed at her intrusion earlier but figured out she was just being Sana. It was time to push all that to the side though because we had a lot of work to do and we’ve only got three hours to do it.

I ordered, “Okay, we’ll stretch and then get to work.”

~  


I slipped on my pair of sweats I had remembered to bring today as I picked up my bag, preparing to leave. Everyone’s still packing up and getting ready to go, and I had to make sure whoever was still here locked up. I didn’t want to get in trouble after everything I went through, just to get this place.

Sana called, “Mina-cchi~ Want a ride home?”

I shook my head, “Nah, I’m gonna catch the bus. Don’t worry about me.”

She waved, “See you tomorrow.”

Everyone started to leave and as I walked up to the mirror to fix my hair, I see Bambam walk up to me, looking casual as ever. A part of me grew annoyed simply because I knew exactly what he was going to ask but another part of me was just too exhausted to care.

I heard him ask as I turned away from the mirror to face him, “So, what are you doing after this?”

I answered tiredly, “Going home. It’s 9:00 o’clock, Bambam.”

“I was wondering if you’d want to grab a bite? I’ll pay.”

I shook my head, “No, it’s fine. I had a late lunch so I’m not really hungry.”

He shifted his weight onto his right leg and crossed his arms, “Okay, what about a movie tomorrow night?”

I sighed, “Look Bambam, I told you-”

“C’mon Mina, why won’t you give me a chance?”

“Maybe because she’s not interested.” I heard a familiar voice come from the doorway, seeing Momo against the doorframe casually. She stood up straight as I looked at her, silently sending her a thank-you as I saw Bambam back slightly away from me.

Bambam answered rathere forcefully, “No offense but I don’t think this is any of your business.”

She walked forward, smiling sarcastically, “No offense but I need you to get the fuck out so I can lock up and go home.”

The tone of her voice instantly reminded me of how intimidating she really could be, and now Bambam was aware of it too. I could tell he felt uneasy if not worse, considering her attention was directed towards him. He didn’t even tell me bye as he walked past Momo, causing her to walk closer to me. I felt my heart slam against my chest out of fear and envy, wondering how someone like Momo could look so sweet but could strike fear into the best of them.

She walked towards the system to make sure it was off then addressed me, “He’s a real charmer.”

I followed close to her as we walked out of the studio, “Thank you…I think your comment might keep him off my back for a while.”

She turned around, coming face to face with me as she smiled almost innocently, “My pleasure.”

She walked me out of the front door, locking it behind her as she looked at me. I knew I should start walking towards the bus stop but for some reason leaving her just didn’t feel right. She didn’t move to leave either, which sent me mixed signals as I spoke, “Bye, Momo.”

“Can I give you a ride home?”

I felt something in my chest light on fire, sending a hot sensation running down my back and all over my skin. I felt my breathing hitch once more as I looked at her, “No, it’s fine. The bus isn’t really that bad…”

She shook her head, “It would give me some peace of mind if you let me.”

Maybe it was the way she had that cute look of concern written on her pretty features but for a second I could see past her walls. She was asking permission to bring me home because was worried about me, and telling her no seemed almost impossible right now.

I nodded, “Yeah, sure.”

I saw something in her expression, something that looked like complete relief as she nodded, “Thank you.”

I walked next to her, feeling warmth radiate off of her. I followed her around the back of the gym and soon we were standing in front of a Yamaha bike, yes, a motorbike, like a goddamn motorcycle.

I looked at her uneasily, “Um, Momo…”

She smiled, looking at me, “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

I sort of protested, “Yeah, but…”

“You can trust me, Mina.” her eyes watched me, a hopeful gleam shining through.

I smiled unwillingly at how she said my name, but it wasn’t enough to distract me from the fact that I had agreed to ride home on this death trap. She pulled out a black helmet from her backpack; walking up to me and giving me a reassuring smile while gently pulling it on over my head. I took notice to the smell of her shampoo, and for some reason, I felt my blood start to rush. Whether it was from fear or excitement, I had no idea but there was no backing out now as she climbed onto her bike, waiting for me to join.

I climbed on behind her, scooting closer as I timidly placed my hands onto her thighs. Being shy wasn’t natural for me but it was different with Momo, like I was scared to something wrong that might set her off.

I felt her hands gently grab mine, placing them on her waist as she ordered, “You might want to hold on tighter than that.”

I clenched my jaw as I felt my hands start to clam up out of nervousness. I forced myself to wrap my arms tightly around her waist, feeling her firm stomach under my hands. Feeling her tense under me, let me knew I wasn’t the only one that was nervous about the sudden closeness. I listened to her steady her breathing as I spoke closer to her ear as possible, “I live off of Columbus.”

She revved her engine to life, chills running up my spine as I watched her hands grip the clutch of her bike. My chest was pressed firmly against her strong back, and being this closed allowed me to realize she really was in shape. Images of her body flashed in my mind, her standing with nothing but spandex and a sports bra…

_Get a grip, Mina…_

We took off on the streets of Manhattan as the wind whipped around my borrowed helmet. I watched the city lights fly past me, giving me a sense of freedom I had never felt before. Momo’s hands work the gas as she steered us through the traffic in a safe attempt to get me home.

_Look at you, riding on the back of the bike of the girl Shion was probably going to demolish in a few weeks…_

Even though Momo was the last person I should be associating with, I still trusted her even when I barely knew her. It must be because of the few times she became protective over me, which was something I found extremely adorable. She was so hard and calloused on the outside but I knew her doing this wasn’t something she often did for people. This lets me know that she wasn’t a complete bitch she originally came off to be.

Soon we were approaching my street as I signaled to the apartment complex that was lit up, and she slowed her bike near the front entrance. I hopped off, blood still racing as I pulled off her helmet and placed it in her hands, “Thanks for the ride…”

She smiled, “Beats the bus, doesn’t it?”

Her playfulness was contagious, and the way she smiled up at me made me want to kiss her. I pulled myself back into reality as I nodded, “Significantly better. It’s more dangerous but definitely more exciting.”

This time she laughed and something in me melted, “Have a good weekened, Mina.”

I nodded, a part of me silently wishing she didn’t have to go, “You too, Momo.”

Then she took off down the street, disappearing around the corner as I steadied my own breathing. Why did it have to be Momo, of all people? Why did Momo have to be involved with all of the bullshit my sister was also involved in?

And why was I missing her presence already?

~

My Friday classes had been insignificant, and after Saturday evening rehearsal, I had desperately tried to keep myself busy with school work. I have a few assignments due to Monday now that October was underway and there’s only four weeks till the Fall Recital. I was excited and busy, and all was looking good as I tried to stay ahead of myself. Although, even when I was keeping myself busy, I still found my thoughts lingering on Thursday night when Momo had taken me home on her bike.

I remembered the smell of her helmet, how it had actually comforted me when she pulled us out onto the city streets. I remembered how my arms had wrapped tightly around her as she would speed up and how my head had been buried in her back. I literally remembered everything about the ride and I had no idea why.

It had been terrifying and electrifying at the same time, but for some ungodly reason, I was craving it again.

I knew riding home with Momo wasn’t going to be a regular thing simply because she had initially brought me home out of worry. The Bambam incident had probably freaked her out and she had wanted some peace of mind, who knows if she would want to the same on Tuesday night?

But if she offered me another ride, I would gladly accept even though riding on her bike nearly gave me a heart attack.

Then again, it’s not like I should be associating with her in the first place. I mean, she was dangerous, not to mention the fact that she and Shion were kind of archenemies since Shion’s professional fate lied in beating Momo when they’ll fight.

I still didn’t know the exact date of the fight, but I was honeslty already not looking forward to it.

I tried not think any more on the subject as I finished up my Management Class assignment, placing it in my folder and looking around the apartment. Shion wasn’t home and it was noon, I was stuck here with absolutely nothing else to do and I refused to start watching Netflix.

Spending the rest of my Sunday watching _The Fosters_ just wasn’t okay with me.

Then my phone rang out. I answered, “Hey, girl.”

“Hey, are you home?”

I answered nervously, “Yeah, why?”

“Um, because I think I just set us up on a double-date.”

The sentence stopped me in my tracks as I answered, “What?”

She sucked in a tight breath as if she was nervous for my reaction, “Well, Tzuyu just texted me to go have lunch with her at 12:30 and told me to bring you.”

I groaned, “Sana, I looked like shit!”

“Well, open your door and let me fix you up, then!”

I rolled my eyes, “You’re already here.”

Her laugh echoed through my phone as I walked to the door, unlocking it and opening it, I see my best friend standing there timidly. She put her phone back in her purse, “Look, I saw the way you looked at Momo last Thursday, and I know she’s there with her. You need to get out more.”

I crossed my arms, “I didn’t even get a say in this.”

“That’s the point,” she tugged me on my arm that led me to my room, “Because you wouldn’t have agreed.”

She stopped at my closet and I spoke, “Why would you think I wouldn’t agree?”

She eyed me, giving me a look that told me she knew me better than anyone in this city as she shuffled through my clothes. She spoke, “It’s getting cooler outside, come pick something cute.”

I walked up beside her, “Where exactly are we going for lunch?”

“Just some Italian restaurant down the street.”

I settled on a pair of distressed jeans and a loose shirt that hung off one shoulder. I quickly slipped on a pair of brown boots as I protested, “Sana, I don’t even have any make-up on! And my hair’s a mess!”

Forcing me to sit at my vanity I had in my room, she calmed me down, “Minari, your hair is naturally pretty.” She began brushing it out and allowing it to settle over my slim shoulders, calming my nerves as I thought about meeting up with Momo. I hadn’t seen her since the ride home and a part of me was nervous to see her again. I wanted to know if she had thought about me all weekend like I had but I knew I would be too scared to find out.

She shoved my makeup towards me and spoke, “You have five minutes.”

I took in a deep breath and began putting on my makeup while pestering Sana, “How do you even know Momo’s going to be there?”

She smiled mischievously, “Well, because it’s actually kind of a surprise…for Momo. Me and Tzuyu texted all weekend and Momo think she’s having lunch with Tzuyu, but doesn’t know about me and you showing up.”

I stopped putting on makeup, wondering if that was really a good idea. I mean, Momo didn’t seem to be the one for surprises, and all of a sudden, I was even more nervous than before. I looked at Sana, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Tzuyu is Momo’s best friend, Minari, she knows how she is and _she_ insisted on this. Apparently, it’s been a long time since Momo’s had any emotional contact with any kind of person.”

I looked at her, confused, “ _Emotional contact_? What the hell does that even mean?”

“Like emotional interest, I guess.”

I shook my head, looking at her through the mirror on my vanity, “And what makes you think she’s interested in me?”

“Seriously? Are you _blind_ , Minari?”

I finished up putting on mascara as I fixed my hair one last time, liking the way I looked enough to go out. I faced Sana and realized that maybe she was seeing something that I wasn’t because in my eyes _I_ was the one infatuated with _Momo_. She always seemed so cool and collected around me, not a hot mess like I was when I was next to her.

Sana pulled me up as I grabbed my purse, realizing we only had ten minutes to get to wherever we were going. I answered, “She just seems so emotionless and calm all the time…Are you seeing something I’m not?”

She shoved me out the door as I locked it behind us, hurrying to get to the restaurant. Sana snorted, “Well, no because I’ve only met her once but apparently she’s mentioned you to Tzuyu a few times since she’s met you.”

My heart fluttered in my chest as Sana flagged down a taxi, knowing we didn’t’ have enough time to walk down Columbus Street. I climbed into the backseat and looked at her, “Do I look okay?”

Her wide grin spread across her face as she nodded, “Yes, Minari. Are you _nervous_?”

I groaned, “Of course, I’m nervous, have you _seen_ Momo? I mean goddamn…”

“Yeah, she’s pretty intense.”

_You have no idea…_

~

We halted the taxi driver and paid willingly; climbing out as Sana reassured me, “Don’t sell yourself short, Minari. You can give Momo a run for her money, too.”

I went silent as we stood outside a small but decent Italian restaurant, knowing that I should take Sana’s advice into consideration. I shouldn’t be intimidated, I took care of myself and Momo was just like any other person. Sure, she had her gorgeous stature and her intense quality, not to mention the fact that she could beat anyone’s ass… _Don’t think about that right now, Mina._

Sana pulled me into the restaurant and I immediately saw Momo’s back, instantly remembering the ride home last Thursday. Tzuyu was sitting in front of her, her eyes flipped up towards the door and spotted us. She waved us over as Sana spoke, “Don’t be weird.”

I laughed, “I’m not weird.”

She looked at me, “You know what I mean, like don’t be all shy and shit.”

I pinched her, “Shut up, Sana.”

Within those few seconds, I watched Momo’s glance turn around to see who the hell Tzuyu was waving at, and our eyes met. Every time our gazes lock, I feel my pulse quicken and the air stuck in my throat, seeing a hint of shock on her face.

I quickly took in her appearance, seeing her long blonde hair down and cascading over her shoulders that were covered with her familiar leather jacket. She looked so casual and calm even though her expression worried me, already knowing we had obviously caught her off guard.

Sana quickly took the seat next to Tzuyu, leaving me to sit right beside Momo. I heard Tzuyu ask, “You don’t mind me inviting Mina and Sana, do you?”

Momo’s dark eyes pulled off of me and locked on Tzuyu as she shook her head, “No, it’s fine.”

Tzuyu mumbled with a smile on her face, “Figured you wouldn’t.”

I felt Momo stiffen next to me at Tzuyu’s comment but she remained silent, just like she always did. It was kind of cute how nervous she got when Tzuyu made funny comments like that and she freaks out internally. I was just hoping she wouldn’t clam up out of nervousness or this is going to be a long and awkward lunch if she’s quiet.

But to my surprise, I felt her look at me, “So, how was your weekend?”

I shrugged, already nervous that her full attention was on me. I answered, “Pretty insignificant. We had a rehearsal yesterday and the rest of my weekend was dedicated to school work.”

I looked into her dark eyes, her undivided attention plastered on me as I tried not to let her see how nervous I actually was. She smiled, “What year are you?”

For some reason, I lost my words as I screamed inside my own head. _Why are you so stupid around her, Mina?! Answer her already!_

“We’re both on our last year, actually.” I heard Sana chime in, allowing me to take a tiny breath of relief.

I heard Tzuyu’s deep voice, “You two are studying the same thing?”

Sana nodded, “Yeah, majoring in Business Management, minoring in Dance.”

I suddenly felt Momo’s leg rest against mine under the table due to the lack of space, and she didn’t even move it to where we’re no longer touching. I could feel her warmth on my own leg, sending chills up and all over my body. _Maybe it was static from the cold_. I decided to look at the menu as Tzuyu and Sana fell into their own conversation.

I felt Momo move closer, “Their chicken parmesan is amazing.”

Her voice never fails to grab my attention, no matter how soft she spoke. I looked at her, “Is it a lot of food?”

She gave me her close-mouth smile that teased me, “Of course it is. This is an Italian restaurant.”

I turned towards her, taking in her full appearance, “Would you want to split?”

She hesitated for a while then closed her menu and nodded, looking at me, “Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

The waitress came and took our orders, disappearing with our menus and back to the kitchen. I wanted to talk but Sana and Tzuyu were obviously hitting it off and Momo, of course, seemed to be the quiet type. It wasn’t awkward but I was growing angry at myself for not having the balls to start a conversation. _Not literally, I mean I really don’t have balls to begin with._

Usually, I was so good at small talk…

“So you’ve been rehearsing, for what exactly?”

Realizing that Momo was talking to me, I quickly answered, “We have a fall recital coming up at the end of October.”

She nodded, seeming to be interested, “How long have you been dancing?”

I felt flattered that she was asking me this, and I knew she was genuinely curious by the way her eyes never really left mine. She was facing me completely, her back against the wall as her hands fidgeted in her lap. She was nervous just like me, I could tell by reading her body language, and this helped me loosen up as I realized I wasn’t the only one.

I smiled, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, “Since I was eight. My parents made me take ballet classes. I used to dance around the house all day in my pink tutu. I still love it just as much.”

Then her mouth opened, a wide smile spread across her face as I felt my heart throb against my chest. Her smile was beautiful, and I meant her _real_ smile. It wasn’t like her closed-mouth grin; it was so much more, like her giving you permission to see past her walls. I craved to see it every time it disappeared because it never lasted long enough, like your favorite song that always ended too soon.

She sipped on her water, pulling me out of my thoughts, “Do you still have it?”

I looked at her curiously, “Have what?”

“Your pink tutu.”

I blushed, laughing as I realized she was joking with me about my childhood memory. I shook my head, “No, I kind of outgrew it.”

Her eyes burned into mine, giving me a look that made every cell in my body heat up. She looked as if she wanted to tell me something but something was refusing her to let it out, so she fell silent again.  I could feel myself loosening up around her then, growing more comfortable as I allowed myself to open up.

I asked, “What do you like to do?”

She sucked in a tiny breath, thinking about her next response, “Well, I like a lot of things.”

_Yeah, including illegally fighting on the weekends…_

I pushed that thought away as I rolled my eyes at her playfulness, “Okay, what do you like to do when you have free time?”

“I love to read, doesn’t really matter what it is as long as it’s interesting.” her answer seemed genuine but I felt as if there were other things she probably could’ve said. She honestly didn’t seem like the type to sit down with a good book, but who am I to judge and assume? Then again, I had to remember that was most likely more to Momo than her fighting.

I nodded, “The only interesting things I read are posts on Tumblr and tweets on Twitter.”

She laughed, nodding, “I imagine you’re pretty busy and don’t have much time to read anyway.”

I agreed internally and countered, “I’m more of a movie girl. I like the visual representation of something. Plus, it’s only about two hours and doesn’t take me a month to finish.”

“A good book wouldn’t take you a month, promise,” she smiled then, playing with her straw as the waitress arrived with our food. This, unfortunately, cut our conversation short as we all began digging in.

We hadn’t bothered to ask for an extra plate so Momo and I had to scoot a little closer to each other to share. I could smell her familiar perfume as I felt our shoulders touch, sending little waves of excitement all throughout my body. My stomach would tighten as we would graze each other, and as all four of us exchanged small talk throughout the lunch, all I could really pat attention to was Momo.

It didn’t take long for all of us to be too full to breathe, and our waitress walked up to provide us with our checks. Momo offered to pay for the meal since we both had split but I felt bad, knowing she actually worked for her money and I didn’t. I had made a noise of protest but she refused to hear it, giving me that wicked smile that made me forget where the hell I was in the first place. So, I allowed her to pay but had offered to at least leave the tip for the waitress.

We all walked out onto the streets of New York, hearing the city noise surround us as Sana looked at me. She spoke, “I should get going. I have a test to study for.”

I honestly didn’t want to part from Momo, at least not yet, but if Sana didn’t want to go home alone…

“I’ll bring you home,” I heard Tzuyu answer, signaling over to her bike.

I could literally hear her squeal inside her own head, knowing she would like the bike ride more that I had. She was always into the reckless type, and Tzuyu was obviously right up her alley.

Momo leaned over and asked, “Would you like me to bring you home?”

Her voice echoed in my head as I contemplated another ride home on her bike. Maybe it was something you just had to get used to, like talking in front of a crowd or smoking cigarettes. Maybe another ride home from her wouldn’t hurt, and it would be another opportunity to spend just a little bit more time with her.

I nodded hesitantly, joining her on her bike as she handed me her black helmet. She smiled, “If this is gonna happen often I might need to get you your own helmet.”

I could feel myself blush but I was grateful the helmet was covering it. I knew she couldn’t see but she could probably tell by the way I had refused to respond due to the wide smile spread across my face.

_Uh, still such a nerd…_

“Hold tight.”

My arms tightened around her torso, feeling her muscles contract as she stiffened at my touch. I was hoping it was because she liked it and it made her nervous, and not something totally different. The last thing I wanted was to enjoy touching her only to have her absolutely hate it, which didn’t really seem likely anyway.

My apartment wasn’t far from the restaurant and I immediately regretted not offering to go somewhere else other than my house. I was going to be completely bored for the rest of the day and parting from Momo was something I found myself hating the more I had to do it.

After the wind whipped around us, I hugged her tighter to me, feeling a sense of comfort against her back. Her warmth was something that I remembered at night when I was alone in my bed. I was glancing over her shoulder but all I could really focus on was how her blonde hair whipped around my helmet.

_God, why did she have to be so intimidating…_

She pulled up in front of my apartment complex for the second time this week, allowing me to get off her bike and slip the helmet off of my head. I ran my hands through my hair as I smiled, “Thanks again, and for lunch…”

She smiled politely, slipping the helmet over her head but leaving the clear plastic cover over to where she could still speak. She looked so… _badass_. I felt my heart pound in my chest at the sight.

“Thank you for coming and keeping me company.”

I felt myself blush under her stare as I watched her rev her bike, readying to leave. Then, before I could watch her go, I called, “Can I get your number?” I realized it sounded so unsophisticated and unsexy but I couldn’t let her leave again without me getting it. I stammered a bit to relieve the awkwardness I had created, “Just uh, so I can tell you what color of the helmet I want if I decide before I see you.”

I watched a wide smile spread over her face as I handed her my phone, watching her type in her number and name. I was internally proud of myself for finally getting her number, but texting or calling would be a whole other obstacle for me to overcome.

She handed me her phone and smiled, “The brighter the better.”

I blushed as I responded, “I’ll consider that.”

She gave me one last smile before departing from me, leaving me alone on the streets of New York City. I could feel something in me, like my heart was smiling so big, it was ready to burst out of my chest. I felt _good_ , not only about Momo but how everything was looking up this last week.

I had finally fully choreographed an entire set for my crew, I had aced my Management test, and I had met someone that seemed to be occupying my mind almost 24/7.

I was just praying that the good luck and fortune wouldn’t run out too soon considering that I was just getting used to enjoying it.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made to the end without getting bored bc of this lengthy ch 1, thank you so much for reading :)


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